A massive fire this week destroyed hundreds of makeshift homes and displaced more than 2,000 people in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, prompting calls Thursday from relief agencies for more funding to build safer housing and help provide emergency aid. The fire broke out in the early morning hours of Tuesday in Camp 16, one of more than 30 camps in the Cox’s Bazar district that make up the world’s largest refugee centre, housing more than one million Rohingya who have fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar. “When fires strike in overcrowded camp settings, the impact extends far beyond damaged infrastructure,” said Lance Bonneau, IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh, in a statement. The aid organisation is among others operating inside the Cox’s Bazar camps. It also damaged water and sanitation points in the camp, 11 learning centres and camp infrastructure and pathways.

Source: The Star January 24, 2026 11:42 UTC